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Anatomy professor honored as collegewide Teacher of the Year

BY SARAH CAREY
D Kevin Anderson, an associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology in the department of physiological
sciences, has been named the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine's 2010 College Council
Teacher of the Year.
The council annually selects an outstanding teacher to receive the designation, based on criteria including knowl-
edge of subject matter, clarity of presentation, concern for students' mastery of subject, fairness, enthusiasm for teaching
and overall interest in student welfare. The winner receives $2,000 and a plaque.
Anderson received his undergraduate degree from Washington State University and subsequently a master's degree,
also from Washington State. He received his Ph.D. in anatomy from the University of Kentucky at Lexington in 1984.
This is the second time Anderson has been honored with the college council's Teacher of the Year Award, the first
being in 1990. A member of the UF veterinary faculty since 1988, Anderson has taught anatomy to every single class
since then. UF veterinary students have chosen him several times to receive their top teaching awards, given by indi-
vidual classes and also by the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In 1994, the college awarded Anderson its prestigious C.E. Cornelius Young Investigator Award for his research.
His most recent research focus relates to the biomarkers of traumatic brain injury. This work has received funding
from the Veteran's Administration and other sources.
Anderson also has served for many years as faculty advisor and ride team leader to Team Vet Med, a group of cyclists
that ride regularly throughout the year and who also raise money for student scholarships. In recognition of Anderson's
commitment to the group, the scholarship funded by the annual Horse Farm Hundred ride was renamed in his honor last
year.
"My philosophy of teaching is really quite simple," Anderson said. "I think the best teachers are the ones who
provide the necessary guidance so the students can learn the materials on their own, with minimal input from the
instructor."
He added that he preferred to think he could facilitate the learning process by challenging students, rather than
merely lecturing them or providing a list of anatomical facts.
"This can be accomplished several ways, but one of the simplest and most effective is just to ask the students
questions rather than directly give them the answers," Anderson said. "It can sometimes be a new experience for students
to learn this way, but I feel that they will retain the relevant and important answers more readily than rote memorization.
More importantly, I think that learning in this way helps to foster the ability of students to learn where to find an Dr. Kevin Anderson
appropriate answer to a challenging question."

Clinical pathologist receives UF Research Foundation Professorship
D Rick Alleman, a professor of clinical pathology at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary
Medicine, has received a UF Research Foundation professorship.
Sponsored by the university's Division of Sponsored Research, the professorships are awarded to tenured faculty
campuswide for distinguished research and scholarship. The honor includes a $5,000 salary increase each year for three
years and a one-time $3,000 award for research support.
A board-certified clinical pathologist, Alleman graduated from Louisiana State University's College of Veterinary
Medicine in 1980. He worked in private practice as a veterinarian for several years prior to returning to the academic
environment to complete a residency in clinical pathology at the UF veterinary college in 1992. Subsequently, Alleman
received his Ph.D., also from UF, in 1995 in molecular biology of infectious disease.
Alleman began his UF faculty career as an instructor in 1994 in the college's department of physiological sciences.
Since then, he has progressed through the faculty ranks to become a full professor. His primary research focus has been on
developing molecular methods of diagnosis and the persistence of infection from tick-borne pathogens, specifically
Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. This work has resulted in the recognition of different antigens used in the serological diagnosis
of infections with these pathogens, which commonly affect livestock in parts of the world, but which are also known to
affect people and other animals, such as dogs.
He has coauthored four patents, three of which resulted in license agreements for market development.
A favorite with students, Alleman has twice been named the UF veterinary college's Teacher of the Year. He also has
received numerous other awards over the years for his teaching.
"Even more important than his list of career highlights is the fact that Dr. Alleman is an outstanding faculty citizen at Dr. Rick Alleman
UF," wrote Alleman's department chairman, Paul Davenport, Ph.D. in nominating him for the award. "He is always willing to
collaborate with colleagues, and his mentorship of veterinary clinical pathology residents has helped lay the foundation for
future clinical scientists."

New video series aims to better instruct veterinary students

in all aspects of spay/neuter surgery

T he Shelter Medicine Program at the
University of Florida College of
Veterinary Medicine has partnered
with the country's leading spay/neuter
training center to produce a series of videos
aimed at educating greater numbers of
veterinary professionals about best practices
in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter
surgical techniques.
The first in a planned series of the surgical
training videos details procedures for
performing surgery on puppies and kittens as
small as 2 pounds and as young as six to
eight weeks of age.
"Spaying and neutering animals prior to
sexual maturity prevents unintended litters
and ensures numerous well-established
health benefits for them," explained Dr.
Brenda Griffin, an adjunct associate professor
of shelter medicine at the University of
Florida and UF's lead veterinarian in devel-
oping the new teaching tool. "In addition,
performing these procedures at an early age
offers the advantage of shorter surgical and
recovery times."
Griffin, a board-certified internist, joined
forces with two board-certified surgeons, Dr.
Philip Bushby of Mississippi State and Dr.
Mark Bohling of the University of Tennes-
see, along with Dr. Karla Brestle of the
Humane Alliance National Spay/Neuter
Response Team. The video was filmed at the
NSNRT's 13,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art
surgical training center nestled in Asheville,
N.C.'s Blue Ridge Mountains, where more
tan 23,000 sterilization surgeries are
performed annually.
"Veterinarians and students already have
e opportunity to participate in intensive
ads-on surgical continuing education at
the training center, but the new video series
will make training available to veterinarians
and students around the world," Griffin said.
"The first video demonstrates techniques
designed to improve efficiency while
maximizing patient comfort and safety."
"It is technically much easier to spay a 2-
pound puppy than a 75-pound adult.
Students at Florida are already taught the
skills illustrated in this video," said Dr.
Natalie Isaza, the Merial clinical assistant
professor of shelter medicine at UF and chief
of the college's shelter medicine service. "Our
goal is to make this information available to
practitioners who want to learn these
techniques as well."
Pediatric neutering was selected as the
topic for the first training video because
practitioners frequently lack confidence in
the procedure and because neutering before
puberty offers the best opportunity to prevent
overpopulation caused by accidental litters.
"We advise our students that the timing of
spay-neuter surgery is very important,"
Griffin said. "Puppies and kittens should
always be sterilized prior to adoption from
animal shelters, including those as young as
six weeks of age. Practitioners should
routinely schedule their privately owned
patients for surgery immediately following
completion of the first vaccination series at
approximately 4 months of age."
The video, funded by PetSmart Charities,
is available for free viewing and download-
ing at www.humanealliance.org. A DVD will
also be mailed to veterinary students at all
U.S. veterinary colleges. The group plans to
create additional instructional videos
focusing on spaying large breed dogs, trap-
neuter-return of feral cats, and novel tech-
niques for improving surgical efficiency,
anesthetic technique, patient safety, and post-
surgical pain prevention.

Dr. Brenda Griffin monitors this young dog during preparation for surgery.

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Griffin)

CVM University Scholar: Caitlin Leibowitz will soon head to Boston

for graduate studies in immunology

BY SARAH CAREY

C aitlin Leibowitz, this year's CVM University Scholar, will soon leave Dr. Dan
Brown's laboratory to head for Boston, where she'll be pursuing a doctoral degree at
Boston University. Her colleagues back in the lab say Leibowitz's aptitude for
research and motivation bode well for the young woman's future career in the sciences.
"I was initially drawn to Dr. Brown's lab because it is a p.iil ll ,-, and infectious disease
lab," Leibowitz said. "When I was looking into potential research work, I e-mailed a number of
labs that were primarily focused on p.hiil ih F,. Dr. Brown was kind enough to respond and
offer me a volunteer position."
For the past year, Leibowitz has been working with Brown and Dr. Meghan May to become
more familiar with the nature of scientific research.
"Caitlin first joined our group wanting very much to attend medical school, but it was
soon clear that she had an incredible aptitude for research," May said. "Based on her lab
experience, she changed her goals to prepare for a career as an investigator. I think that her
selection to the University Scholars program was a well-deserved honor and was instrumental Caitlin Leibowitz
in her successful application to Boston University. We're very proud of her."
Leibowitz said she learned a number of laboratory techniques such as PCR and DNA
purification and extraction that will be useful as she continues her studies.
"My work also helped me to begin developing some of the strategies that are useful when
designing an experiment," Leibowitz said, adding that she is open-minded about what her
scientific focus will be once she begins her studies at BU.
\A111 ii il I'm currently interested in immunology and autoimmune disorders, I realize
that these interests may change as I begin my lab rotations," she said.
Leibowitz will graduate from UF this month with a bachelor of science degree in biology.
Brown said he was impressed that Leibowitz had also received offers from the graduate
schools at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California at Los Angeles.
"We are very proud of Caitlin's accomplishments and prospects for the future, and the
CVM made a very successful investment by supporting her," Brown said.
Each college at UF is allocated a certain number of University Scholarships, and the CVM
only receives one spot because it doesn't offer an undergraduate curriculum.
"That's why it is very special to win that one spot," Brown said."
Scholars receive a $2,000 cash stipend *,
Applicants work with faculty members to develop a specific research proposal, and the .
decision on which student is awarded the scholarship is made for the college by Dr. Charles
Courtney, associate dean for research and graduate studies. Dr. Dan Brown

U university of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine small animal surgery resident Dr. Stanley Kim has been named resident of the
year by the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians.
The award is presented annually to two residents who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishment and proficiency in the areas of
clinical service, teaching and research.
Kim, who will complete his UF residency in June, has received several awards in recent years from the Veterinary Orthopedic Society and
the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.,
"In addition to being an outstanding young clinical surgeon and educator, Dr. Kim has truly distinguished himself on the research front,"
said Dr. Daniel D. Lewis, professor of small animal surgery at UF. "He has already established himself as a recognized authority in the
management of cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency in dogs."
Lewis added that Kim was the third UF small animal surgery resident to receive the AAVC's resident of the year award.
The AAVC's mission is to enhance the quality of and serve as an advocate for veterinary clinical teaching, service and research.

Dr. Stan Kim

Around the college

Dr. John Scheiderer of Purina accepted a plaque from Dean Glen Hoffsis on behalf of the Shelter Medicine
Club for Purina's support of the shelter medicine clerkship during a luncheon held in VS-20 April 20.
(Photo by Sarah Carey)

Dr. Natalie Isaza, the Merial Clinical Assistant Professor of Shelter Medicine and coordinator of the shelter
medicine clerkship, and Lauren Unger, president of the Shelter Medicine Club and Maddie's Shelter Medicine
Research Fellow, on April 20 during the "Thank You, Purina" luncheon. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

ihi

Laura Seheult, a member of the Class of 2012, holds up her personalized white coat in the Dean's Office
conference room at the college on April 20. Seheult volunteered to help hang the coats in preparation for the
Sophomore Professional Coating Ceremony, which will be held May 6 at UF's Phillips Center for the Performing
Arts. The coating ceremony marks the sophomore veterinary students' transition into their junior year and the start
of clinical rotations. (Photo by Sarah Carey)